785G Northbridge And SB710 Southbridge Vital Statistics

Let's have an overall look at the 785G and its brethren to see how their vital statistics stack up:

Northbridge

AMD 785G

AMD 780G

AMD 790GX

Processor Interface

HT 3.0/5,200 MT/s

HT 3.0/5,200 MT/s

HT 3.0/5,200 MT/s

PCI Express Support

2.0/26 lanes/1 x 16 Graphics

2.0/26 lanes/1 x 16 Graphics

2.0/26 lanes/2 x 8 Graphics

Integrated Core

RV620

RV610

RV610

DirectX/OpenGL

10.1/2.1

10.0/2.1

10.0/2.0

Shaders/TU/ROP

40/4/4

40/4/4

40/4/4

Graphics Clock

500 MHz

500 MHz

700 MHz

Display Outputs

DisplayPort, HDMI 1.3, DVI, VGA

DisplayPort, HDMI 1.2, DVI, VGA

DisplayPort, HDMI 1.2, DVI, VGA

Multi-GPU

Hybrid CrossFireX

Hybrid CrossFireX

Hybrid CrossFireX, CrossFireX

Addtl. PCIe

Six x1 PCIe 2.0

Six x1 PCIe 2.0

Six x1 PCIe 2.0

Southbridge

SB710

SB700/SB710

SB750

Interconnect

A-Link Xpress (4 x PCIe 1.1)

A-Link Xpress (4 x PCIe 1.1)

A-Link Xpress (4 x PCIe 1.1)

RAID Support

RAID 0, 1, 10

RAID 0, 1, 10

RAID 0, 1, 10, 5

Audio

HD Audio

HD Audio

HD Audio

USB

12 USB 2.0 + 2 USB 1.1

12 USB 2.0 + 2 USB 1.1

12 USB 2.0 + 2 USB 1.1

Ethernet

N/A

N/A

N/A

There aren't any super-significant differences between 780G and 785G as far as raw specifications are concerned, save DirectX 10.1 support for the new 785G. Keep in mind that the 785G does have some features that the 780G and 790GX do not have, which we'll go over in the next few pages.

The higher-end 790GX differentiates itself from its brothers with a higher 700 MHz graphics clock, the ability to use dual discrete graphics cards in CrossFireX, and the additional RAID 5 mode. All of these boons are missing from the new 785G, indicating that the 785G is not positioned as the next big thing, but as an improved replacement for the 780G chipset. Pricing will likely fall to current 780G levels over time, and while AMD admits that its customers will still be able to purchase the 780G chipset should they choose to do so, 785G will slowly replace 780G. Perhaps we'll see a 795GX chipset arrive in the not-too-distant future, bringing the 785G advancements to the higher-end 790GX price segment.

The SB710 Southbridge

The SB710 is nothing new. It has already been used in conjunction with the 780G as a replacement for the older SB700 chipset component. The SB710 is something of a hybrid between the older SB700 and the SB750 commonly used on 790GX-based boards. And, like the SB750, SB710 sports Advanced Clock Calibration (AAC), used to enable additional headroom in Phenom processors (but no longer needed with Phenom II).

Like the SB700, however, AMD's SB710 does not support RAID 5, although it does support RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays.

"refined architecture" ? To my knowledge, and please correct me if im wrong, all that was changed between the original phenom and the phenom 2 was the addition of more L3 cache allowing it to do more simultaneously and a die shrink allowing for higher clocks. That does not a refined architecture make. When AMD added an on die memory controller to their processors years ago they had made a huge advancement in architecture. Im sad to see them fall away from the performance crown. Here's hoping their new Bull Dozer architecture brings something genuinely intriguing to the table.

This article raised a lot of questions for me. What about Hybrid Crossfire for example? What kind of cards can be used together with this new IGP? Is the discrete graphics card on standby if no performance is required? If no then how much extra outlet wattage is expected? And how much extra if actively in use? I'm interested in using the 785G solution in the 24/7 HTPC setup with the possibility to do occasional gaming as well. My current setup with 690G chipset and Athlon 64 X2 BE-2350 CPU draws around 50 watts most of the time and up to 90 watts under heavy load. Is it too much to expect similar levels from 785G and Phenom II X3 705e combo for example?

when can we see the mobile version of this? this is most certainly a welcome update compared to the 780g-hd3200 chipset. and beats any nvidia igp hands down. id love to see this on an $700-$800 laptop. good thing im still holding back on buying a new notebook.

ArticleThere are two lessons to be learned here: first, if you really care about the environment, turn your PC off (or at least configure it to enter sleep mode) when you're not using it, and second, don't be afraid of purchasing a better processor for fear that it will cost you big money in power consumption.

Perhaps the next task could be a power comparison to tell us how long a computer needs to stand in active state to consume more power than turning it off and back on again (including starting msn,av software and a bunch of other stuff running in the background).

McNuggetOfDeath: There were changes to the Phenom II architecture, 45nm is not what enabled higher clocks, it was architectural changes(mostly regarding internal latencies). There were also other changes as well that enabled higher IPC and smoother overall performance.

PS: Phenom II does support DDR3, there are only 2 models out of 12 that don't...

Pei-chenGood timimg, I was wondering if 785G is better than 790GX or not yesterday. Thanks.

========My take on it is except for some specific HTPC features, the 790GX is still the better of the two, especially if any gaming is involved. They compared an OC'ed 785G to a stock 790GX; what if they'd OC'ed the 790GX also?And, lest anyone develop any false hope, the Intel IGP has once again been shown to be a toad.

One of the best things this chipset brings is a lower cost on AM3 motherboards, if you want to use PhenomII processors paired with DDR3 ram and a single video card, you can pay 89-99 dollars for the motherboard. I think this is important.

"At idle, the Phenom II X2 is drawing the highest load: 92 W on the 790GX motherboard. In contrast, the E7200 is drawing 68 W on the most efficient platform, Intel's G45. It looks big on the chart, but it's a difference of 14 W."

Nope, it's using a 24 W difference. I think that's why your numbers are different too. I get:

refined architecture" ? To my knowledge, and please correct me if im wrong, all that was changed between the original phenom and the phenom 2 was the addition of more L3 cache allowing it to do more simultaneously and a die shrink allowing for higher clocks. That does not a refined architecture make. When AMD added an on die memory controller to their processors years ago they had made a huge advancement in architecture. Im sad to see them fall away from the performance crown. Here's hoping their new Bull Dozer architecture brings something genuinely intriguing to the table.

That is incorrect, if that was the case, the Phenom II wouldn't benchmark so much better and it wouldn't overclock so much better. Just because it has the Phenom name to it, doesn't mean all they did was give it a bit more L3 Cache and call it a day. You could've given the original Phenom more L3 cache all day long and it wouldn't still ran like poop. Not necessarily poop, but just not as well as the Phenom II.

cleeveWe concentrated on the new aspects of the 785G in this article; hybrid crossfire is exactly the same as it was with the 780G, that is to say it maxes out with a 3450 card.

If this is true, then why does the Hybrid crossfire graphic on the first page show HD4350, HD4550 and HD4650 as compatible hybrid crossfire GPUs?

It makes sense.. the 780G used an integrated 3200-series GPU, so it was compatible with lower-end dedicated 3000-series GPUs. The 785G uses an integrated 4200-series GPU, so it should be compatible with the lower-end dedicated 4000-series GPUs.

Can you clear this up? I was also wondering what GPU's can be used as Hybrid crossfire with the 785G. I thought I knew from that graphic on page 1, but your response confused me.

cleevehybrid crossfire is exactly the same as it was with the 780G, that is to say it maxes out with a 3450 card.

Thanks for clearing it out, Cleeve! There is not much sense using Hybrid CF then. However, my original question still remains: how much extra wattage may one expect with mid-range 4600 or 4700 card added for example? Does disabling the device help here a bit more when not in use? Hope this is not too off-topic already...